6450-01-P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

National Nuclear Security Administration

Record of Decision

For the Continued Operation of the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security

Administration Nevada National Security Site and Off-Site Locations in the

State of Nevada

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration.

ACTION: Record of Decision.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration ,

(DOE/NNSA) is issuing this Record of Decision (ROD) for the continued management,

operation, and activities of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) and Off-Site Locations in

the State of Nevada pursuant to the Final Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for the

Continued Operation of the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration

Nevada National Security Site and Off-Site Locations in the State of Nevada, DOE/EIS-0426

(Final NNSS SWEIS) issued on February 22, 2013. In making its decision, DOE/NNSA

considered potential enviroll)llental impacts of operations and activities, current and future

mission needs, technical and .security considerations, availability of resources, and public

co=ents on the Draft and Final NNSS SWEIS. The Final NNSS SWEIS analyzes ongoing and

reasonably foreseeable future operations and activities at the NNSS and other DOE/NNSA

facilities in Nevada, including the Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL) at Nellis Air ForceBase

(NAFB), the North Las Vegas Facility (NL VF), the Tonopah Test Range (TTR),_ and environmental restoration sites .located on the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR)

(formerly the Nellis Air Force Range).

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DOE/NNSA has decided to implement the Preferred Alternative, which is identified in the

Summary, Table S-1, and Chapter 3, Section 3.4, of the Final NNSS SWEIS. The capabilities,

projects, and activities that comprise the elements of DOE/NNSA's decision, and the original

alternative from whfch each is derived, are described in the "Decision" section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: For further information on this ROD, or

other NNSS National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents, contact Ms. Linda M.

Cohn, SWEIS Document Manager, NNSA Nevada Field Office, U.S. Department of Energy,

P.O. Box 98518, Las Vegas, Nevada 89193-8518, (702) 295-0077. For information on the DOE

NEPA process, contact Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and

Compliance (GC-54), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington,

DC 20585, (202) 586-4600, or leave a message at (800) 472-2756. Additional information

'regarding DOE NEPA activities and access to many DOE NEPA documents, including the Final

NNSS SWEIS, are available on the Internet through the DOE NEPA Web site at

· httj;i://energy.gov/nepa.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Background

DOE/NNSA prepared the Draft and Final NNSS SWEIS and this ROD pursuant to the

. regulations of the C9uncil on_ Environmental Quality (CEQ) for implementing NEPA ( 40 CFR

. Parts 1500-1508) and DO E's NEPA Impldmenting Procedures (10 CFR Part 1021 ).

The DOE/NNSA missions and associated programs in Nevada are (1) the National

Security/Defense Mission, which includes the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Program;

Nuclear Emergency Response, Nonproliferation, and Counterterrorism Program; and Strategic

. Partnership Program (previously Work for Others); (2) the Environmental Management Mission,

which includes the Waste Management and Environmental Restoration Programs; and (3) the

Nondefense Missfon, which includes the General. Site Support and Infrastructure, Conservation

and Renewable Energy, and Other Research and Development Programs. These missions and

programs are carried out at the NNSS, RSL, NL VF, and NTTR/TTR. The U.S. Air Force, U.S.

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Bureau of Land Management, and Nye County, Nevada, were cooperating agencies in the

preparation of the NNSS SWEIS. In addition, the Consolidated Group of Tribes and

Organizations, which includes representatives from 16 culturally affiliated American Indi.an

Tribes, participated in the preparation of this SWEIS by providing text in the document that gave

their perspectives of the land and activities conducted and proposed by the Federal government.

The NNSS occupies approximately 1,360 square miles of desert and mountain terrain in southern ·

Nevada. It is a multi-disciplinary, multi-purpose facility primarily en�aged in work that supports.

national security, homeland security initiatives, waste management, environmental restoration,

and defense and nondefense research and development programs for DOE/NNSA and other

government entities.

RSL is located on 35 acres at NAFB in North Las Vegas, Nevada. Radiological emergency

response, the Aerial Measuring System, radiological sensor development and testing, Secure

Systems Technologies, nuclear nonproliferation capabilities, and information and

communication technologies are supported at RSL.

NL VF, located on approximately 78 acres, comprises 29 buildings that include office buildings,

a high bay, machine shop, laboratories, experimental facilities, and various other mission-support

facilities.

The TTR consists of a 280-square-mile area north of the NNSS on the U.S. Air Force NTTR

Activities conducted at TTR include flight-testing of gravity weapons (bombs); research,

development, and evaluation of nuclear weapons components and delivery systems; and national

security-related work for other agencies and organizations. Environmental restoration activities

are also conducted on the NTTR

DOE/NNSA analyzed various radioactive waste shipping routes through and around

metropolitan Las Vegas, Nevada, in the Draft and Final NNSS SWEIS. DOE/NNSA has taken

into consideration the comments. and concerns expressed by state, county, and local government

officials and the public during the review and comment period for the Draft and in preparation of

the Final NNSS SWEIS. Shipments of low-level radioactive waste (LL W) and mixed low-level radioactive waste (MLL W) to the NNSS for disposal will continue to be done in accordance with

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commitments made to the State of Nevada and provisions of the NNSS waste acceptance criteria

regarding routing and related matters associated with such shipments.

Alternatives Considered

. In the Draft and Final NNSS SWEIS, DOE/NNSA analyzed the potential environmel).tal impacts

of three alternatives: (1) No Action, (2) Expanded Operations, and (3) Reduced Operations.

These alternatives considered current and reasonably foreseeable missions, programs,

capabilities, and projects at the NNSS and the three offsite locations. Alternative descriptions are

organized under three missions, each with two or more associated programs. Mission-related

capabilities, projects, and activities are identified by program area for each of the alternatives.

The three alternatives include similar types of programs, capabilities, projects, and activities, but

differ primarily in their levels of operations and facilities requirements. The Final NNSS SWEIS

identified a Preferred Alternative, which incorporates elements from the analyzed alternatives.

The No Action Alternative reflects the use of existing capabilities to maintain operations at

levels consistent with those experienced since 1996. ·The Expanded Operations Alternative

differs from the No Action Alternative in that the levels of operations would be enhanced or

accelerated; some new activities would be implemented; and new facilities would be constructed

to support increased levels of operations and activities. In addition, under the Expanded

01\erations Alternative, DOE/NNSA would modify land use zones at the NNSS to better reflec;t

the kinds of activities that would be undertaken in those zones. Under the Reduced Operations

Alternative, DOEINNSA would conduct some activities at a level similar to that of the. No

Action Alternative, but for other activities, the levels of operations would be reduced or would

cease altogether.

All three alternatives include consideration of potential co=ercial solar power generation at the

NNSS at varying levels of generating capacity (i.e., 240 megawatt [MWJ-No Action, 1,000 MW

Expanded Operations, and 100 MW-Reduced Operations). The Final NNSS SWEIS also

indicated, and the Preferred Alternative incorporates, a number of conceptual pr potential

activities for which there is insufficient information available to conduct a project-specific NEPA

review (marked with footnote "a" in Tables S-1 and 3-3 of the Final NNSS SWEIS). Because the

solar power generation scenarios and other identified conceptual or potential activities have not

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yet been adequately address.ed for purposes of NEPA, DOE!NNSA is not making any decision

regarding them. When sufficient information becomes available regarding any one or more of

these conceptual or potential activities, DOE/NNSA will conduct an appropriate NEPA review

before making any decision(s).

Preferred Alternative

At the time the Draft NNSS SWEIS was published, DOE/NNSA had not selected a Preferred

Alternative. The Final NNSS SWEIS identified DOE/NNSA' s Preferred Alternative (described

in the Summary, Table S-1 and Chapter 3, Section 3.4) as a hybrid alternative comprising

mission-supporting programs, capabilities, projects, and activities selected from among the three

alternatives, based upon current and projected mission needs. In some cases, DOE/NNSA

identified preferences from each of the three original alternatives within a single program area.

Environmentally Preferable Alternative

After considering the potential impacts to each resource area by alternative, DOE/NNSA

identified the Reduced Operations Alternative as the environmentally preferable alternative. The

operational level of thls alternative would be reduced for most programs, and most activities

would cease in the northwestern portion of the NNSS (Areas 18, 19, 20, 29, and 30), with the

exception of environmental restoration and monitoring, site security operations;. military training

and exercises, and maintenance of certain critical infrastructure systems. This reduced level of

activities, as well as closure of some older and less efficient facilities, would result in lower

levels of water, fuel, and electricity use; less physical disturbance of land; and reduced onsite

generation of some types of wastes. The pace of environmental restoration activities, as well as

. other requirements for environmental monitoring and protection, would generally remain

unchanged from current levels.

Environmental Impacts of Alternatives

The NNSS SWEIS analyzed the potential impacts of each alternative on Land Use, Infrastructure

and Energy, Transportation and Traffic, Socioeconomics, Geology and Soils, Hydrology

(Groundwater and Surface Water), Biological Resources, Air Quality and Climate, Visual

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Resources, Cultural Resources, Waste Management, Human Health, and Environmental Justice.

Under each alternative, the potential impacts are described in relation to the three major missions

(National Security/Defense, Environmental Management, and Nondefense) and the DOE/NNSA

facility with which they are associated (NNSS, RSL, NLVF, and TTR). DOE/NNSA also

evaluated the potential impacts of each alternative as to irreversible and irretrievable

commitments of resources, and the relationship between short-term uses of the envjronment and

the maintenance and enhancement of long-term productivity. In addition, DOE/NNSA evaluated

the impact of potential accidents during transportation of LL W on workers and surrounding

populations. These analyses and results are described in the Summary and Chapter 5 of the Final

NNSS SWEIS. Table 3-4 of the Final NNSS SWEIS provides a summary of potential

environmental impacts associated with the Preferred Alternative, as well as a means for

comparing the potential impacts of the Preferred Alternative with each of the analyzed

alternatives. ·

Comments on the Final Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement

DOE/NNSA distributed the Final NNSS SWEIS to Congressional members and committees;

State and local governments; other Federal agencies; culturally affiliated American Indian

Tribes; non-governmental organizations; and other stakeholders, including members of the

public who requested direct distribution of the document. The Final NNSS SWEIS also was

made available to the public via the.Internet. Within 3 0 days following publication of the Final

NNSS SWEIS in February 2013, DOE/NNSA received co=ent letters from the Nuclear Project

Office of the State of Nevada, Clark and Nye Counties, and the City of Las Vegas. Also within

30 days following the publication of the Final NNSS SWEIS, a fifth letter was received from the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). DOE/NNSA has concluded that these letters do

not identify a need for further NEPA analysis. The Appendix to this ROD summarizes

DOE/NNSA's consideration of these letters.

Decision

DOE/NNSA has decided to implement the Preferred Alteni.ative, which is identified in the

Summary, Table S-1, and Chapter 3, Section 3.4 of the Final NNSS SWEIS. The capabilities,

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projects, and activities that comprise the elements ofDOE/NNSA's decision, and the original . . alternative from which each is derived, are described below.

National Security/Defense Mission Decisions

Stockpile Stewardship and Management Program

From the No Action Alternative, DOE/NNSA will continue to maintain readiness to conduct

undergroilnd nuclear tests but will not conduct such a test unless directed by the President in the

interest of national security. DOE/NNSA will conduct up to 10 dynamic experiments (including

sub-critical experiments at U l a) per year within any one or more of the following NNSS Areas

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 16; conduct up to 500 criticality operations (training and

other activities) per year at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center at the Device

Assembly Facility in Area 6 of the NNSS; conduct up to 600 plasma physics and fusion

experiments each year at NL VF and up to 50 each year in Area 11 of the NNSS; conduct up to

five post-shot drill-back operationil at the NNSS; and disposition damaged U.S. nuclear weapons

on an as-needed basis. (Appendix A, A. L 1.1)

From the Expanded Operations Alternative, DOE/NNSA will conduct up to 100 conventional

explosives experiments per year within any.one or more of the following NNSS Areas 1, 2, 3, 4,

12, and 16, using up to 120,000 pounds TNT-equivalent per experiment of explosive charges in

support of both the Stockpile Stewardship and Work for Others Programs (up to 50 of these 100

experiments will be conducted at the Big Explosives Experimental Facility [BEEF] with a TNT

equivalent limitation of 70, 000 pounds per experiment); establish a second firing table and high

energy x-ray capability at BEEF to support conventional explosives experiments; establish up to

three areas at tlie NNSS for conducting explcisive experiments with depleted uranium, and

conduct up to 20 of these experiments per year; conduct up to 36 shock physics experiments per

year at the NNSS using actinide targets at the Joint Actinide Shock Physics Experimental

Research facility in Area 27 of the NNSS and up to 24 such experiments per year using the

Large-Bore Powder Gun at the U l a facility in Area 1 of the NNSS; test weapons components for

quality assurance under the Limited Life Component Exchange Program; transfer special nuclear

material, including nuclear weapon pits, to and from other locations in the DOE/NNSA complex

for staging and use in experiments at the NNSS; and continue to conduct Stockpile Stewardship

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operations at the TTR (e.g., tests and experiments, including flight test operations for gravity

weapons; groilnd/air-launched rocket and missile operations; impacttesting; passive testing of

joint test assemblies and conventional weapons; and fuel-air explosives testing). Certain

safeguards, security, and other administrative functions at the TTR may be turned over to the

U.S. Air Force. (Appendix A, A.2.1.1)

From the Reduced Operations Alternative, DOE/NNSA will decominission and disposition the

Atlas Facility (a facilify designed to support pulsed power experiments); conduct training for the

Office of Secure Transportation up to four times per year at various locations on NNSS roads;

and conduct Stcickpile Stej,;ardship and Management Program activities, including dynamic . ' experiments, which will continue in any one or more of the following NNSS Areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 6,

7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 16, but will no longer be conducted in Areas 19 and 20. (Appendix A,

A.3.1.1)

Nuclear Emergency Response, Nonproliferation, and Counterterrorism Programs

·From the No Action Alternative, DOE/NNSA will continue tO provide support for the Nuclear

Emergency Support Team, the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center, the

Accident Response Group, and the Radiological Assistance Program; conduct Aerial Measilring

System activities from RSL at NAFB; conduct weapons of mass destruction (WMD) emergency responder training at various Nevada Field Office venues, as well as support the DOE

Emergency Communications Network (Appendix A, A.1.1.2)

From the Expanded Operations Alternative, DOE/NNSA will continue to be prepared to

disposition improvised nuclear devices anq deploy the POE/NNSA Disposition Forensic. Program to the NNSS for training and exercises or for an actual event, as needed, and will

additionally disposition radiological dispersion devices as needed. DOE/NNSA will continue to

integrate existing activities and experimental facilities (primarily at NNSS) to support U.S.

efforts to control the spread ofWMDs, particularly ·nuclear WMDs, including arms control,

nonproliferation activities, nuclear forensics, and counterterrorism capabilities. (Appendix A,

A.2.1.2)

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Strategic Partnership Program (Work for Others)

From the No Action Alternative, DOE/NNSA will, on behalf of other agencies and

organizations, continue to host treaty verification activities; conduct nonproliferation projects

and research and development at the NNSS, including conventional weapons effects and other

explosives experiments; support development of capabilities to detect and defeat military assets

in .deeply buried h�dened targets; conduct up to 20 controlled cheni.i.c"ar and biological simulant

release experiments per year (each experiment will include multiple releases by a variety of ·

means, including explosives); and continue to support training,. research, and development of

equipment, specialized mucltions, and tactics related to counterterrorism. (Appendix A, A.l .1.3)

From the Expanded Operations Alternative, DOE/NNSA will continue to conduct Work for

Others Program activities in all approved zones on the NNSS, RSL, and NL VF, and redesignate

land use at Area 15 of the NNSS from "Reserved Zone'' to "Research, Test, and Experiment

Zone"; develop and construct new facilities to support counterterrorism training and research and

development activities; continue to support the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's

deep space power source development by conducting criticality experiments and emission

sequestration experiments using surrogates for rocket motors; increase use of various aerial

platforms (such as airplanes, unmanned aerial systems, and helicopters) for research and·

development; training, and exercises, including constructing additional hangars, shops, and

buildings at existing airports at the NNSS; conduct up to 3 underground and 12 open-air

radioactive tracer experiments per year; support increased research and development of active

interrogation equipment, methods, and training; and conduct Work for Others Program activities

at the TIR, including robotics testing, smart transportation-related testing, smoke obscuration

operations, infrared tests, and rocket development (Appendix A, A.2.1.3)

Environmental Management Mission Decisions

Waste :Management Program

Fro]ll the No Action Alternative, DOE/NNSA will continue to operate the Area 5 Hazardous

Waste Storage Unit and store up to. 170,000 cubic feet of onsite-generated hazardous waste as

needed, pending offsite treatment or disposal; continue to operate the Area 11 Explosives

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Ordnance Disposal Unit (treating up to 41,000 pounds of explosives over the next 10 years); and

· continue to operate the Area 6 Hydrocarbon Landfill within permitted conditions. (Appendix A,

Al.2.1)

From the Expanded Operations Alternative, DOE/NNSA �11 dispose of up to 48,000,000 cubic feet ofLLW and up to 4,000,000 cubic feet ofMLLW at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste

Management Complex (RWMC); store MLLW (received frpm both on- and off-site generators)

at the Area 5 RWMC pending treatment by macroencapsulation and microencapsulation (i.e.,

repackaging); and conduct sorting and segregating ofMLL W, bench-scale mercury

amalgamation ofMLLW, and/or dispose of this waste at the Area 5 RWMC, as appropriate. In

the future and as needed, DOE may use disposal space in Area 3, subject to detailed discussions

with the State of Nevada. This space may be needed for disposa1 ofLLW, large onsite

remediation debris or soils from cleanup ofDOE/NNSA sites within the State ofNevada and

would be limited to in-state generated waste. DOE/NNSA will store up to 19,000 cubic feet of

onsite-generated transuranic (TRU) waste at the TRU pad at the Area 5 R WMC pending offsite disposal. DOE/NNSA will continue to operate the Area 23 Solid Waste Disposal Site and the

U!Oc Solid Waste Disposal Site, disposing of up to 8,500,000 cubic feet of sanitary solid waste

expected to be generated at the NNSS. Subject to regulatory permitting, DOE/NNSA will

construct new sanitary solid waste disposal facilities as needed in Area 23 and develop a new

solid waste disposal facility in Area 25 to support environmental restoration activities.

(Appendix A, A.2.2.1)

Environmental Restoration Program

From the No Action Alternative, DOE/NNSA will continue, in compliance with the Federal

Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) to identify, characterize, remediate, and

decontaminate and decommission industrial sites as necessary; continue to monitor and .

remediate sites that are the responsibility of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency at the NNSS, . . in accordance with the FF ACO; and continue to conduct the Borehole Management Program.

(Appendix A, A.1.2.2)

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From the Expanded Operations Alternative, DOE/NNSA will, as part of its Underground Test

Area Activity, continue to monitor groundwater from existing wells, drill new groundwater

characterization and monitoring wells, develop groundwater flow and transport models, and

continue to evaluate closure strategies at an accelerated pace; and as part of its Soils Project, in

compliance with the FFACO, identify and characterize areas with contaminated soils and

perform corrective. actions with potentially stricter cleanup standards (resulting in larger volumes

of waste). (Appendix A, A.2.2.2)

Nondefense Mission Decisions

General Site Support and Infrastructure Program

From the Expanded Operations Alternative, DOE/NNSA will continue to maintain and repair its

infrastructure at theNNSS, RSL, NLVF, and the TTR; maintain the existing infrastructure,

provide site security, and manage all applicable existing permits and agreements and will

additionally construct a new, approximately 85,000-square-foot, consolidated security building

in Area 23 of the NNSS and evaluate and either demolish or repurpose the existing security

facilities; replace at the same operating voltage the existing NNSS 13 8-kilovolt electrical

transmission system between Mercury Switching Center in Area 23 and Valley Substation in

Area 2 to increase the capacity of the system from about 40 MW to 100 MW; and upgrade the

telecommunication system on the NNSS to better integrate wired and wireless systems.

(Appendix A, A.2.3.1)

From the Reduced Operations Alternative, DOE/NNSA will maintain only critical infrastructure

within NNSS Areas 18, 19, 20, 29, and 30 (including certain communications facilities, efectrical

transmission lines and substations, and Well 8), maintaining roads within these areas only to

provide access to the infrastructure and environmental restoration sites. (Appendix A, A.3.3.1)

Conservation and Renewable Energy Program

From the N o Action Alternative, DOE/NNSA will continue to.identify and implement

conservation measures and renewable energy projects in accordance with applicable Executive

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Orders and DOE Orders in areas including energy efficiency, water conservation, transportation

and fleet manageme.nt, and high-performance and sustainable buildings. (Appendix A, A.1.3 .2)

From the Expanded Operations Alternative, DOBlNNSA will construct a photovoltaic solar

power system up to 5 MW near the Area 6 Construction Facilities, which will provide electrical

power for onsfte consumption. (Appendix A, A.2.3.2)

Other Research and Development Programs ·

From the No Action Alternative, DOE/NNSA will continue to support the DOE National

Enviromnental Research Park Program and other non-DOE/NNSA research and development

activities in all areas of the NNSS. (Appendix A, A.1.3.3)

Basis for Decision

In making its decision, DOE/NNSA considered potential enviromnental impacts of operations

and activities, current and future mission needs, technical and security considerations,

availability of resources, compatibility with current and future missions of the DOE/NNSA, and

public co=ents on the Draft and Final NN.SS SWEIS. In doing so, DOE/NNSA considered

mission requirements established by law; contemporary goals and objectives identified in site

level planning documents; as well as anticipated funding levels for DOE/NNSA and other users

of the NNSS and offsite locations, such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Through .

the NNSS SWEIS, DOE/NNSA considered the potential enviromnental impacts that could result

from the implementation of each proposed program, capability, project and activity, and how it

might accomplish its underlying current and future mission requirements in a manner that

minimizes adverse enviromnental impacts.

Mitigation Measures

All practicable means to avoid or minimize enviromnental harm have been and will continue to

be adopted and employed in the continued opei;ation of the NNSS and other offsite DOE/NNSA

facilities in the State of Nevada. DOE/NNSA will follow Federal enviromnental laws and DOE

Orders and regulations, and utilize its Enviromnental Management System to ensure that

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environmental impacts are systematically identified, controlled, and monitored. Whenever

possible, mitigation measures will be implemented to minimize tbose impacts. DOE/NNSA will

implement mitigation strategies through habitat conservation measures such as revegetation;

protection of cultural resources witb early planning and avoidance; waste minimization and

energy conservation; and greater inclusion of culturally affiliated American Indian Tribes in

monitoring and conducting traditional ceremonies to benefit tbe health of tbe land.

DOE/NNSA considers all of these measures to be viable means to mitigate adverse

environmental impacts, and will apply the applicable strategies as specific programs, capabilities,

.. ·..r projects, and activities are conducted.

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Issued at Washington, DC, this /:5/:J.day of l>J!c.l!!M.IZSD �t>/4

Under Secretary for Nuclear Security

Administrator /National Nuclear Security Administration

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Appendix: Public Comments received after the publication of the Final NNSS SWJJ:IS

DOE/NNSA received four co=ent letters regarding the Final NNSS SWEIS. These letters were

received from the State of Nevada Nuclear Project Office, Clark County, Nye County, and the

City of Las Vegas. A Jetter from the EPA was also received after the completion of the NNSS

SWEIS.

DOE/NNSA considered all co=ents contained in these letters. DOE/NNSA determined that

none of these co=ents identify or present new information that would warrant a supplement to

the Final NNSS SWEIS or other additional NEPA analysis. Most of these co=ents are similar

to, and in many cases the same its, co=ents submitted on the Draft NNSS SWEIS, to which

DOE/NNSS responded in the Filla! NNSS SWEIS ry olume 3, Co=ent Response Document). Regarding transportation impact co=ents submitted by the State, county and local gove=ents

,.

on the Final NNSS SWEIS, shipments of !ow-level radioactive waste (LL W) and mixed low-level radioactive waste (MLL W) to the NNSS for disposal will continue to be done in accordance with commitments made to the State of Nevada and provisions of the NNSS waste

acceptance criteria regarding routing and related matters associated with such shipments. The

discussion below su=arizes co=ents from these letters not raised on the Draft NNSS SWEIS

and presents DOE/NNSA's responses.

Comment. The impacts ofDOE/NNSA's Preferred Alternative, described in Section 3.4 of the

Final NNSS SWEIS, were not adequately analyzed.

Response. As addressed in Section 3.4 of the Final NNSS SWEIS, the Preferred.Alternative is a

hybrid c�mposed of el6ments of th� three. alternatives that were examined in detail in the Draft

NNSS SWEIS. DOE/NNSA determined, by resource area, that the potential environmental

consequences of the Preferred Alternative would fall within the range of impacts reported in the

NNSS SWEIS.

Further, there would be no synergistic effects resulting in unique impacts stemming from the . . hybrid Preferred Alternative. The potential environmental impacts resulting from implementation

of the Preferred Alternative are displayed in Table S-1 and 3-3 of the Final NNSS SWEIS,

including activities for which there is insufficient infoimation available to conduct a project

specific NEPA review.

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Comment. The Final NNSS SWEIS does not address the potential construction bf a MLL W

Treatment Facility at the NNSS.

Response. Construction of a new MLLW treatment facility within the Area 5 RWMC is not

envisioned at this 'time. If a need for such a facility is identified in the future, DOE/NNSA will

complete the appropriate NEPA review.

Comment. The Final NNSS SWEIS does not include estimates of criteria and hazardous air

pollutants from rail and intenp.odal (train to truck) transportation in Tables 5-34, 5-39, and 5-42 ..

Response. Tables 5-34; 5-39, and 5-42 present detailed data that include analytic results on

criteria and hazardous air pollutants. In addition, Tables 5-35, 5-40 and 5-43 of the Final NNSS

SWEIS present the data in a different format, including estimated emissions .of criteria and

hazardous air pollutants from both the all-truck transport scenario and the primarily-rail transport

scenario (intermodal train to truck transport) that would occur under each of the alternatives.

Comment. The Final NNS_S SWEIS fails to evaluate impacts that would b_e associated with the

proposed Greater-than-Class C Disposal Facility.

Response. The cumulative impacts analysis (Section 6.2.1.1) of the Final NNSS SWEIS

evaluated the potential environmental impacts associated with a Greater-than-Class C

Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility at the NNSS should DOE select the NNSS site for such a

facility. The data used were taken from the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the

Disposal of Greater�Than-Class C (GTCC) Low-Level Radioactive Waste andGTCC-Like Waste

(DOE/EIS-0375-D), issued ill February 2011. Prior to selecting a site for the disposal of GTCC low-level radioactive waste and GTCC-like waste, DOE will complete the appropriate NEPA

review.

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